Forgotten Memory
by A Single Drop of Blood
Summary: When Edward loses all memories of Bella, the two of them must work to regain their relationship, his memories, and figure out the mystery of how it all happened. ON HOLD
1. Chapter 1

I opened my eyes, stretching slowly. Then I sat up and smiled in welcome to the rocking chair in the corner. My mouth dropped open when I saw my dresser, _my old dresser_, where Renee's rocking chair should be. I quickly turned, looking from side to side, taking in my surroundings. This was not my room. Well, it _was_, but it was my old one. The one in Phoenix. I jumped up, and ran to the window.

The sky outside was perfectly cloudy, and it was a perfect 75 degrees outside.

Why was I in Phoenix? How did I get to Phoenix? Where on Earth was Edward? So many questions swirled nauseatingly in my head. I decided to just go and call Edward. He would know.

I got dressed, wearing a tan sweater and jeans. It was hot and uncomfortable, but I just began searching for my cell phone; I would be out of here and with Edward in Forks soon enough.

I dialed the number quickly, getting anxious. I wanted to get out of here, and back to Charlie, to Edward, to Alice. To my _room._ It rang five times, and the wait was excruciating, before a small click came from the phone.

"Hello," came a soft, musical voice that I knew by heart. I smiled, though I knew he couldn't see me.

"Hey, it's me. I-"

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" His voice was confused. What? How could he not recognize my voice? Maybe the connection was just bad…

"It's me, Bella." My voice was warm, happy.

"Who?" Still confused, and slightly…worried? There was an edge to it that I didn't understand. Why was he fooling with me like this? I just wanted to go home, to Forks, and... why was he being so…_un_funny?

"Ha ha. Very funny, Edward. Come on, stop trying to be funny. I'm here in Phoenix and-"

"I've never been to Phoenix in my life." His voice was surprised now. "And, I'm sorry, but…I don't know who you are."

"Come on, Edward." My voice was getting snippy; I was mad. Why is he keeping up this charade? "It's not funny anymore. I'm serious. Quit fooling around." By the end, my voice was raised, to show him I was done playing his game.

"Um…I'm sorry, but…what was your name again? Your full name? Maybe that would help me…remember…" I could hear the distress in his voice.

I heard slight mumbling on his end. I recognized Alice's voice. Oh, maybe she was in on it, too. Thought it would be a funny joke… Well, boy was _she_ wrong!

"Fine. I'll play along. My name is Isabella Swan."

"I have never heard that name in my entire life."

What the hell was his problem?!? Now I was pissed!

"What, in all your hundred and ten years, you've never heard of me? Is that right?" I snapped.

"I…" his voice was frightened now. What need would he have to be frightened. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come _on_, Edward. This is seriously not funny anymore. What – do _all_ vampires take this long to get that their jokes are not appreciated?"

"You think I'm a vampire?" His voice was skeptical, but had a dark edge to it. I knew it long enough to realize that.

I sighed. Fine. If it would get him to stop, I'd play along…

"I _know_ that you are a vampire, Edward Anthony Mason Cullen. I'm pretty sure that humans can't break trees with no effort, or run through the forest at like … super speed, or _read minds." _I said with an implying tone, expecting him to laugh and give in.

No such luck.

"What? How do you know these things, when I haven't even _met_ you before?" He hissed. His voice was dark, and low. I struggled to hear it. It was also _full_ of panic.

I stood there, just holding the phone, frozen in shock. This couldn't be happening. He is just fooling with me.

But he would have stopped by now, wouldn't he have? Could he really have…

"Do you really…" My voice was panicked, a whisper. "not remember me?" My voice cracked.

"No." His voice was flat. Dismissive. "But…I would like to meet you…to find out… how on _Earth_ you know these things about me."

"Fine." I spat. " Ask Alice where we'll meet. She should know." He gasped, almost mutedly. "No, scratch that. Before you do, see Jasper. You seriously need to calm down, (-again, that muted gasp-) and, like _freaking REMEMBER ME_!!"

I threw the phone against my closet door. The battery fell out and skidded across the floor. I ran to my bed, and screamed into my pillow. Within five seconds, my screams turned to gasps as tears flew down my face in a river, traveling past my cheeks and forming small, wet shapes on my pillow.

How could he forget me? I loved him. He loved me. He _proposed _to me! We had gone through _so much_ together, and now, he goes off and forgets! And I _still_ don't know why I am in Phoenix!!

What the hell happened to me? To my life?

Wait. Maybe this is just a bad dream… I slapped my cheek. Really hard.

"Ouch!" A very thin line of blood flew softly and slowly down my cheek.

OK. Definitely not dreaming. I touched my hand to my cheek again, tenderly, wiping the blood away. I pulled my hand back and brought it to my face. I stared at the drop of blood on my finger, lost in thought.

Edward. Could he really forget me? How could he forget me? After everything we've been through, even if he didn't have his vamporial memory, even if his memory was only human, _how could he FORGET me?_

I love him. I would do anything for him. We've proven our love for each other again and again, and one day, his memory is just…wiped away? How can that be? He proposed to me a little over a _month_ ago, and now, such a short time later, he forgets about me completely!? I felt fresh tears flowing down my face, and my knees were suddenly so weak. I fell to the floor, my face connecting with the cool wood of my bedroom's bottom.

It's decided. If he has forgotten, then I shall consider it my duty to remember me, to put everything back the way it is supposed to be. I will make him remember me. Or die trying.

I stepped out of my truck, and started to slip in the mud. I grabbed at the car mirror, and missed. I scrunched up my face for impact, when an icy hand grabbed my wrist, yanking me up in an uncaring manner. I looked up into Edward's eyes. They were cold, distant, and full of an extreme raging conflict. That hurt. It reminded me of when…he left. Except now, if I asked him if he wanted me, he would say no. And mean it this time…

"Thanks." My tone was depressed, and I saw that his expression grew slightly frustrated. There was a slight pout to it.

"You will find that you can't read my mind, Edward." I said his name with unintentional affection and he stared at me incredulously. Whether from saying his name like that or simply being unable to read my mind, I didn't know.

"Why?" His tone was innocent, caught off guard. He was honestly curious as to the answer. If only I had it…

"I have no idea. But don't worry. It's not just you. Aro and Jane can't affect me either. Still for unknown reasons." I sounded like a textbook, with hard facts.

His mouth twitched, but he recomposed himself, merely raising one perfect eyebrow.

"You know of the Volturi?" Oh, his wonderful, perfect, musical voice. How could he really have forgotten me?

"Yeah." My voice was offhand, as if I didn't care. "The two of us only nearly got…you know _massacred_. No big."

His mask fell. He simply stared at me incredulously. "We?" His voice was implying.

"Well, to tell the truth, it was sort of…completely your fault. You went to go kill yourself. You asked the Volturi to kill you, they said 'no', you tried to force them to kill you by walking into the sun. But Alice foresaw it, and like tried to get me to save you. We flew around the world to Italy, and I tried to get you to move out of the sun. Then Marcus tried to get me to come with you down to that…awful…chamber…anyways… you didn't want me to come, but people were staring so you tried to keep me safe, and so you brought me with you. Then you talked to Aro, and dear God is he perky, and then he saw that his ability didn't work on me, so he tried Jane's. But then you got in my way, and …that was…awful to watch…I tried to help you, but Alice held me back. Then Jane tried it on me, and nothing happened. So then Aro laughed, and he said I was your _la tua cantante _… you know 'your singer?' And then he asked Alice, and you … and me…to join them … and we declined. And then they made you promise…well…actually you didn't but Alice showed them it happening…anyways … they wanted to make sure that you would turn me… and when we got back, you…proposed to me…" The end was a mere mumble, and he stared at me, disbelieving.

That hurt. Deep. I told him everything that happened last summer, and he still didn't remember. He just looked at me, his face full of doubt.

"Well," He cleared his throat, uncomfortable. "I'm sorry Isabella-"

"Bella," I corrected, a reflex.

"Bella." He amended, "but…I really don't remember you."

No. No. No! NO! He _had_ to remember, he had to! He couldn't just forget me! I was standing right here, I told him of half of our relationship, and he just blows me off!

I sank to the ground, to my knees, into the mud. He stared at me, anxious.

"Bella?" His voice, it reminded me of when I heard the voices, of when I was drowning, before Jacob… wait.

"Jacob." His eyes, usually flashing darkly at this point, remained unchanging. Dang. But maybe, _maybe_, I could get Jacob to help me get Edward's memory back. But first, I needed to find out how much he forgot; It can't be just me … he didn't remember Jacob…

"Hey, Edward," I tried to make my voice uncaring. "Where are we?"

"Um… I don't know. Alice just told me to come to this rainy place…in Washington of all places…why did you want to meet here?"

"This… is Forks, Washington. You met me here. There is a meadow, not too far from here. It is where you told me you loved me for the first time." My eyes grew very soft, but hardened again at his surprised expression.

"We were…in love?"

"Yes." I took another step towards him, slowly. He noticed. My heart tore in two when he stepped back slightly.

"We were, Edward. You proposed, and… I love you…and you loved me…and I will do _everything_ in my ability to get your memory back. And after that, we can work out how you lost your memory in the first place."

He smiled timidly at me. It was still beautiful, but not even close to as wonderful as his crooked smile. He reached out his hand, and I took it. He pulled me up with no effort, and after I was up, I did not let go. I tried to pull myself closer to him, but he pulled away, stiffening. I looked up and his eyes were black as coal.

"Oh… why didn't you hunt before you came here? That's…not… really…good." His eyes were full of restraint, as much as I had seen on that first day. I backed away very slowly. I didn't want to run; I didn't want to be afraid. And I wasn't afraid… much…

"Edward?" I said it slowly, cautiously. His eyes flickered to me and away. I tried to be very still, to not stir the air with my scent.

He closed his eyes, and was very still. I tried to breathe as little as was necessary. I knew that I should be horrified. I knew that my life could end at any moment, and I wouldn't even see it coming. I should be frozen in fear.

But I wasn't. I _was_ frozen. But with concern. I knew how my scent tormented him that first time, and now he had to go through it again. I felt only for him. Just like always, my emotions were the same. If only his were…

He breathed out suddenly, quickly, and smiled at me. I let out my breath, smiling back. "I am so sorry. Could you forgive me?"

"Of course. It's not the first time, anyways. Not for me. The question is if you could forgive me."

"Why do you need to be sorry?"

"I'm your singer."

He laughed, and smiled. It still wasn't my smile, my crooked smile. I would forever wait for it.

I took his hand again. He didn't pull away.

"I have something to show you."

He let me lead him now. I pulled him towards his meadow, into the forest I would never forget, the forest where my angel declared himself for the first time.

"I will help you remember Edward. I promise, no, I _swear_, I will. I will find out what happened, and then we will be together forever."

And he smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

We trekked through the forest in silence. He matched my slow human speed without complaining. I looked over to him, and he was deep in thought. "What?" I asked.

He looked over to me, smiling a small smile. "I am feeling extremely guilty right now," he admitted.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, you have so many memories of me, and yet… I don't remember _anything_ about you."

I flinched. That hurt… like the wound was dug out deeper.

He noticed. His brows furrowed.

I looked back to the forest ahead of me. Edward looked away, too. He seemed to see something in the distance ahead of us. "Is that it up ahead?" he asked.

I couldn't see it yet, but knew it was in the direction he was looking. I nodded. He seemed anxious in anticipation. We walked for about a half-mile, before coming to the opening of the meadow. Edward looked around in amazement at the beauty of the meadow.

"Wow," he breathed, smiling. The clouds above us were thinner now, giving light onto the clearing. That made Edward frown.

"What?" I asked.

"The sun," he said, looking cautiously at me. Oh, right. He doesn't know that I've already seen him in the sun.

"Yeah, don't worry. I know about that," I said, smiling in memory of him, sparkling magnificently in the sunlight like a diamond.

"Oh," was all he said, looking away, uncomfortable. Why was he uncomfortable?

"Come on," I said, pulling him forward. He stepped into the sun slowly, watching my face.

Though I had seen it so many times before, I couldn't help but to stare. It was so mesmerizing; I couldn't look away. He smiled sheepishly at me. I beamed back, still pulling on his hand. He let me lead him to the middle of the meadow. When we got there, I sat down in the grass. He sat down about five feet from me. I worked hard not to frown.

Edward looked around the meadow again, taking in everything from the flowers dancing in the wind to the bubbling creek hidden behind the trees. "Wow, it's really beautiful here," he said in amazement.

"Yeah," I agreed. "This… this is your meadow. You came here whenever it was sunny, because… well, you obviously couldn't come to school…"

"How old are you?" he asked suddenly, taking me off guard.

"Nineteen," I said cautiously.

"Aren't you a little old to be in school still?" he asked.

"I'm not in school anymore," I corrected. "This happened last year and the year before."

"But I've never been here before," he said, confused.

"Yes you have," I corrected.

He sighed. "You mean there is _more_ I don't remember?"

I frowned. "Apparently…"

He was still frowning, seeming confused about something.

"Edward?" I said quietly.

He waited a minute, still lost in thought, before turning slowly to smile at me. "Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Edward, I've known you for two years. I know your tricks. You can't lie to me. Tell me what's on your mind…"

He moved, at a human pace, to place his elbows on his knees, resting his head in his palms. He stared at me, seemingly mesmerized. "You keep surprising me like that," he chuckled. I smiled, not entirely sure what he was talking about…

"So," I said slowly. "What's bugging you?"

He sighed. "I was just wondering…" he trailed off, his tone wary.

"Yes?"

"Never mind."

"Edward, you can ask me anything," I sighed. Now I knew what Edward felt like when I was curious about vampire marriage…

"Well, I was wondering two things actually…"

"Go on…"

"Well…" he seemed uncomfortable. But apparently, curiosity got the better of him because he sighed. "I wanted to know… how can you do this?"

"Do what?" I asked, curious now, too.

"How can you be with me like this? You know how dangerous I am to you, how I am more dangerous to you than anyone else, and yet you are almost perfectly at ease…" he trailed off, looking directly into my eyes.

I smiled. "I love you, and I trust you. You've known me for two years, and you've never once attacked me, so why should you now? And besides, I stopped being afraid of you a _long_ time ago. And I was barely afraid of you then." I was grinning then.

"You aren't afraid of me… at all?"

"No." I answered honestly. "The only thing bothering me is how you can forget so much so quickly… There's no way a _vampire_ can forget like that on its own… so someone must have done this…" I trailed off, trying to figure something out.

"Why would someone make me forget you?" he asked, his musical voice making me lose my train of thought for a moment.

I gasped suddenly. Edward stared at me. "Bella?" he said slowly. "Are you alright?"

"The Volturi," I said, understanding.

"The Volturi?" he echoed, confused. "Why would they want me to forget you?"

"Well, Marcus kept complaining about how I knew too much, and he was surprised about how strong our bond was. Maybe someone in the Volturi has an ability that…. wipes away memory or something… it would solve a lot of problems for them." When I finished, I felt a feeling of rightness, like my subconscious was able to see that this was the truth.

"Wow," he said, suddenly grinning.

"What?"

"We must have _really_ upset the Volturi if they would be willing to go to such lengths to separate us."

"Too bad for them, it didn't keep us apart for long…" I was grinning, too.

Something buzzed, and there were vibrations coming from Edward's pocket. When he pulled out a small, silver cell phone, I saw Alice's name on the caller ID.

"Yes?"

"…….."

"Yes, I'm with her…" Alice was talking about me? But I thought she didn't remember me either… none of them did…

"……" The voice was excited now, louder.

For a few minutes after that, he was talking too fast for me to hear. His brow furrowed.

"Ok…" he said, speaking at a slower speed again. He turned to me, handing me the small phone. I took it, confused.

"Hello?" I said cautiously.

"Bella!" Alice's tinkling voice came from the phone.

"Yes?"

"Why doesn't Edward remember you?"


	3. Chapter 3

_"Why doesn't Edward remember you?"_

I gasped. "You do?"

"Of course I do," she said impatiently. "Why wouldn't I?"

I quickly filled her in on what had happened since I woke up in Phoenix but not my theory; I wasn't one hundred percent sure about the theory, so I didn't want to seem like an idiot around Alice.

"I'm leaving now. I'm not exactly sure why I'm in Alaska again, but I'm taking the next flight out to Forks. Wait with Edward, and when I'm there, maybe I can refresh his memory… ok?"

"OK, I will," I promised.

There was a small click from the phone. I handed it back to Edward.

"_She_ remembers you," he said stubbornly.

"That's proof for you," I smiled.

" I guess it is," he smiled back.

Suddenly I remembered something that made me frown. We would have to pass through LaPush to get to the airport…. Oh, crap… That… is a problem…

I groaned, and fell backwards into the grass, covering my eyes.

"Bella?" Edward's melodic voice was suddenly very close. I opened my eyes, and he was kneeling over me, his face only a foot away from mine, etched in concern. I blushed furiously, looking away. He smiled.

"Well, if you can still find time to blush, it can't be that bad, can it?" he said with a smile. One blush blended into another, and I looked at the trees as I spoke.

"We… have a problem, Edward," I groaned.

"What's wrong?" he asked, still sounding worried. He reached out a hand to help me up. I took it, and when I made contact with his icy skin, my heart misbehaved. I blushed again, and he smiled wider. Well, at least some things about his don't change, whether he remembers me or not…

"We have to go through LaPush to get to the airport, where we'll meet Alice."

"And?"

"You're not allowed there."

"Why not?" he demanded.

"You, Carlisle, and Esme signed a treaty about… sixty years ago." I explained.

"Wait," he said slowly; he wasn't even listening to me. His next sentence was totally random. "If I live here, where is my house?"

I sighed, pointing to the direction it was in. "That way."

He seemed excited then. "Let's go."

"But we have to meet Alice," I complained.

"She won't be here for a few hours, we have time," he smiled at me, and the smile made tears come up, flowing down my cheeks in happiness.

It was my smile, my crooked smile.

His smile vanished when he saw my tears. He was at my side in an instant, one hand, very carefully, on my shoulder. "Bella? Are you all right? We don't have to go see the house…" He thought it was because of the house!

"You…" I smiled, suddenly on the verge of laughing. "You are so absurd." I laughed then, so hard I was leaning over, my hands on my knees for support. He only stared at me, confused.

"What did I do?" he asked.

"We can go see your house," I laughed. "I was crying tears of happiness. It had _nothing_ to do with your house."

"Then…" he said with a smile. "What made you cry?"

I blushed suddenly. "Nothing."

That made him determined. "Please?" His midnight eyes begged. And I made the mistake of looking at his face. I couldn't breathe, and it took a minute before I could remember how to exhale.

I shook my head to clear it. He leaned in closer, causing my heartbeat to speed up erratically. He smiled. "Please?" he whispered, blowing his scent into my face, completely stunning me.

"Erm, what?" I asked, dazed. How does he keep doing that!?

"Tell me what made you so happy," he said quietly.

I sighed, and began to glower at him. "You… are such a cheater," I accused him. He only laughed. The sound was beautiful, like music.

"Well?" he said after a minute of silence.

"Well", I began, blushing again. He still hadn't moved away; his curious eyes were only a foot away from me. His breath, so sweet, was making it hard to form a coherent sentence, and my embarrassment was not helping… "When you smiled before…"

"Yes?" he prompted, smiling my crooked smile. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"Yes, that smile… I love it," I said.

He grinned, a somewhat triumphant look on his face.

"Really?" he said.

I nodded, still blushing.

Suddenly, he looked embarrassed. "What?" I asked. What did I do?

He shook his head. "Not a chance." His eyes still held hints of embarrassment.

"No fair," I complained. "I told you, now you tell me."

He looked at me for a minute, before seeming very interested with a flower on the ground while he spoke. "I'm… quite partial to your skin color when you're blushing." He said quietly, so quietly I barely heard it. Of course, his comment made me blush deeper.

There was an awkward silence. I wasn't sure whether or not to break it.

I never needed to. Edward spoke up. "So, should we try to head through LaPush?"

"Sure," I said slowly. "But it's far away from here. It would take a while… and I'm not sure how we will be received…"

"We can run," he suggested.

"That works for me," I said, already smiling in anticipation of the exhilaration.

He held out his hand, grinning. I took it, and he slung me onto his back in one, effortless movement. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and secured my stranglehold on his neck. I propped my head on his shoulder.

"You might want to close your eyes," he warned.

I laughed, and the sound echoed through the forest. "Are you kidding me? No chance I'll close my eyes. Then I'll miss all the excitement."

He shrugged, content with that, before taking off at full speed. The wind whipped against my face, and I felt the surge of the adrenaline rush as he pushed faster into the forest. He followed my directions as the trees, and soon the houses, too, sped by in a wall of green and white. Soon, my eyes adjusted slightly to the speed to a point where I was able to direct Edward towards the boundaries. He stopped suddenly when we were right before the entrance, wrinkling his nose.

"I don't think we should go through here," he said stiffly.

How true he was… but… I was curious as to what he was thinking…

"Why?" I asked, trying to keep my tone uncaring.

"There are werewolves here," he said, his eyes narrowed.

I let out a breath, smiling. "Oh, that."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, that?" he quoted in confusion.

I laughed. "Yeah, that. They've been there for a while. They were the people you signed the treaty with."

"So… we shouldn't be here."

I sighed. "No," I admitted. "But it's the only way to get to the airport, and I'm _hoping_ that they'll let us through just this once."

"And what makes you think that a _dog_ is going to make an exception for you?" he asked sourly, his eyebrows raised.

"Because I'm friends with them." It sounded like a question.

"Wait. How are you able to be with vampires and werewolves?"

"Well… it's not easy…" What an understatement…

"Trouble magnet," he said under his breath. I laughed, and he smiled again. My heart misbehaved, an automatic reaction, causing me to blush, and him to smile more broadly.

He seemed to still be deciding whether or not he was going to do it as he crossed the borderline into LaPush, in the direction I pointed out as the direction the airport was in.

Within two minutes, he stopped, cursing under his breath. He was glaring at a group of dark figures emerging from the trees. The closest figure was Jacob. He was looking at Edward with pure incredulity, but quickly recomposed his face, replacing the expression with his mask. Sam Uley emerged next, his expression calm, but the shivers running down his arms giving him away. He spoke through his teeth, his sudden anger surprising me. He was usually so calm…

"Edward," he very nearly snarled. "What are you doing on LaPush property? This had better be good…"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"_Edward," he very nearly snarled. "What are you doing on LaPush property? This had better be good…"_

Edward glared at the werewolves, who all had shivers running down their arms at an alarming pace. Especially Jared. He looked like he was going to "phase", as Jacob had previously called it, any second.

"We just need to get through," Edward said, speaking through his teeth.

Embry laughed. "You think we are going to just let you through here? You're not allowed on our property, leech. You know that."

Edward glanced at me and back to the werewolves. I slid silently down his back, and he took a protective stance in front of me. I noticed Jacob tense in reaction, clenching his teeth.

"What?" Embry asked. "Got nothing to say to that? It's not like you can forget or anything. I know how your memory works, leech." _If only you knew_, I thought silently. _That's exactly what happened._

I tried to move forwards, past Edward, to explain, but Edward held out his arm, shaking his head.

"Move, Edward," I said firmly, pushing on his arm. Confused, he looked at me. I stared back determinedly and nodded. Reluctantly, he dropped his arm. I walked over to the group of werewolves who now were looking very confused. I walked right up to Jacob, who smiled briefly at me in greeting.

"That's exactly what happened," I said. Confusion flashed across Jacob's face.

"Nonsense," Sam said, shaking his head. "I know how vampire memory works. They remember every little detail about every little thing. Don't tell me he forgot anything. I know it's not true."

"Really," I insisted. "He doesn't remember. He doesn't remember _anything._"

"He remembers you," Jacob said accusingly.

"No," I said softly. "He doesn't. He doesn't remember me at all. I made him meet with me so that I could try to help him remember. We're on our way to the airport now, to meet with Alice. She's going to try to help me get him to remember." My voice was low as I spoke.

"How can a vampire forget?" Jared asked, still eager for a fight. He was simply glaring at Edward, who was glaring right back at him.

"I don't _know_," I said, exasperated. "That's another thing we're trying to figure out. We think it has something to do with the Volturi," Jacob's eyes narrowed as I spoke their name, "but we're not really sure…" I trailed off, looking away from them, back towards Edward, who was looking at me with an unsure expression.

Nobody said anything. I was suddenly nervous. Would they believe us? Would they let us through, let us get to the airport, or would they think we were lying and attack? If they were able to take down Laurent so easily… I shuddered at the thought of them fighting Edward.

"I believe her," Jacob said quietly. Everyone turned to look at him.

"You can't be serious!" Jared exclaimed.

"Are you crazy?" Embry asked. "They're lying."

"We're not lying!" I insisted.

"Prove it," Embry said, turning to me.

"Leave her be," Jacob warned.

Embry held up one hand. "Prove it to me, Bella. Prove he forgot."

"Fine," I said. "Ask him anything. Your names even. He doesn't remember anything."

They all stilled for a few minutes, thinking. Edward still watched me, unsure. After a minute, Sam opened his eyes, turning to Edward. Edward looked back at him, and I couldn't understand his expression.

"The answer to this question is so absurdly obvious, but it would prove what Bella is saying," Sam said. "What is the name of the vampire who both your coven and our pack are searching for?"

Victoria, I instantly realized. He was right, it was easy. But I grinned. This was perfect. There was no chance he knew the answer.

Edward's expression was blank, and Jacob frowned as I slowly walked back to him. Edward looked down at me briefly before looking back at Sam.

"I honestly have no idea," Edward said calmly. Jared growled.

"How do we know he's not still lying?" he asked. I groaned.

"Jared, we're not lying. Do you honestly think I would lie about this? I mean, when have I _ever_ wanted _any_ of you to fight anyone? Let alone each other…" I glared at him, and he seemed surprised as he thought about this, realizing, I hoped, that we weren't lying. He sighed in resignation.

"You have five minutes to be out of our property," Sam said sternly. Edward nodded, pulling me up onto his back.

"Thank you," I said, looking specifically at Jacob.

"Bye, Bells," he whispered.

"Bye Jake," I whispered back, just as Edward began running again.

"That was… interesting," Edward said once we had been running for three minutes.

"I told you they wouldn't react well… The airport is right over there."

He slowed to a walk, sliding me off of his back as we approached the airport. As soon as we got into the terminal, I saw Alice. I grinned, and she smiled back happily.

"Your flight got in early?" I asked. She nodded.

"So," she said, "shall we go to our house then to talk?" She was looking at Edward, and he shrugged.

"As long as you show me the way," he agreed. Alice frowned.

"No, Alice. I honestly don't remember anything. I'm tired of people asking me that," he said impatiently.

They started arguing then, faster than I could detect. "Guys?" I tried. No luck. I looked at my watch.

One minute now to get out.

"Guys?"

No one was paying attention.

"Alice!" I screamed. Alice, Edward, and quite a few people in the terminal, all stared to look at me.

"_Thank you_," I said in exasperation. "We have to be off the LaPush property by the end of this minute."

"What?"

"The dogs didn't react well to our being on their property," Edward explained. "They gave us five minutes."

"Why are we still standing still then?" she asked, already running towards the exit at a speed that could barely pass as human. Edward scooped me up into his arms and ran after her. Once they were out of the airport, they began to run at full speed towards the boundaries. I wasn't sure if we made it out in time, but none of the pack came up to us. I sighed in relief.

Edward slowed when we reached his house, before setting me down on the ground.

He surprised me by laughing when he saw the graceful white house.

"It looks so much like the house in Denali," he said. "Is it the same design?"

"Yes," Alice answered. "Esme loved their house, so she borrowed a copy of their design plan and built this house loosely off of that."

"Let's go inside." He was gone before I realized that he had moved, leaving me alone with Alice.

"He really doesn't remember," Alice said, taking her time in approaching her home.

"No, he doesn't," I sighed sadly. "Hopefully, though, seeing his house will jog his memory."

"Hopefully," she agreed. Then she frowned. "But what I'm trying to figure out is, what on Earth could have completely decimated a vampire's memory like this? I thought it might be the Volturi at first, but I don't think anyone in their ranks can do that. Of course this is only my assumption; we would have to ask Carlisle to even be slightly sure."

"Only slightly?" I echoed, confused.

"Carlisle hasn't lived with the Volturi for more than a hundred years, Bella," Alice reminded me. "Who's to say that they haven't welcomed more members, or turned any of their human accomplices?"

Alice sighed then. "But now, we should probably see if he remembers any of this."

I nodded, and then followed her inside.

Edward was a blur, running up and down the stairs. He didn't stop for a moment, only ran from one room to the next, taking everything in at once. Finally, he reached his room, and stopped completely.

Alice ran me up so that we were only a few feet away from him. His expression was sad, and I thought that I could see a hint of worry.

"Edward?" I said quietly. He turned towards us, but looked at Alice instead of me.

"This room was mine?" he questioned. She nodded. His frown deepened.

"It smells like her," he said inclining his head towards me for a moment.

"You two were together for a long time," Alice said. Her hand was rested on my shoulder. I looked up at her, but she was watching her brother. The concern was obvious.

"I've tried and tried," Edward said, very slowly. His words seemed to be paining him. I yearned to comfort him, but stopped myself. He didn't remember me, so it would be as if a stranger came up and tried to comfort him. "I've racked every inch of my memory, and yet I can't remember a single thing about this place. Everyone knows me, even the werewolves know more about me than I do. How is it that I can have simply forgotten? It shouldn't be possible, and yet," he paused, staring without seeing into his room. "And yet… I'm proof of such an occurrence. Alice, you remember. Bella, so do you. Every creature but me remembers. Why?" He broke off then, and Alice's grip tightened on my shoulder, so much that it became uncomfortable.

I started when Edward's head suddenly snapped up, focusing on Alice. I tried to turn towards her, to see what was wrong, but her grip on my shoulder was not letting me move. I winced as her grip tightened again. Whatever she was seeing, it was not good.

Edward walked swiftly over to me, effortlessly releasing Alice's hold on my shoulder. He brought me closer to him, and I could smell the sweet scent coming off his skin. He didn't release his hold on me, though, when I chanced a glance at him, he was only looking at Alice.

"Bella."

It wasn't Edward who spoke. I looked over at his sister, and she was out of her vision. Her expression was calm on the surface, but her eyes held traces of panic.

"What's wrong, Alice?" I asked. Edward tensed in response to her thoughts.

"The Volturi. They're coming. Tonight."

A/N:::::: Yes, I'm just loving all these cliffies! The faster you give me reviews, the faster I will update…. So…. REVIEW!!!


	5. Chapter 5

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Bella," Alice apologized. "The Volturi have been very clever in their thinking. They didn't consciously decide anything until they were on their way here. I never thought about what to do if they figured out the flaw in my visions…"

"What do we do?" I asked. I looked at Edward. He wouldn't turn me; he didn't even _remember_ me. So, my only hope was Alice.

"You have to do it, Edward," Alice said, surprising the both of us.

"What?" Edward said. I was staring at Alice in disbelief as well.

"You told Aro that you would turn her. Specifically you."

"Do you think they'll be able to tell the difference? Venom is venom," Edward countered. I suddenly felt as if they were playing Hot Potato, neither of them wanting to be the one to end up with the potato, aka me.

"And don't _you_ think that Aro would check in our minds to make sure that it was you who turned her?"

"Why would he?"  
"Because Aro is meticulous, and, even if he forgets, Jane or Felix, who are more than looking forwards to a fight, will remind him." Alice smiled grimly, but somehow still triumphantly. "It has to be you."

Edward sighed, turning to me.

"I could kill her," he whispered, still talking to Alice.

"You promised Aro," Alice said softly.

"I trust you," I said, speaking up. Edward's eyes focused on me. "I trust you," I said again. "You won't kill me."

His expression was still hesitant.

"It has to be now, Edward," Alice said softly. I saw a flash of pain across Edward's face, before he sighed.

"Alright," he agreed sadly. I battled with myself. Part of me, the irrational side, felt rejected, and wanted to run and cry. The larger, more rational side of me said that it was simply his morals getting in his way. I mean, I would feel unsure, were it me, to have to choose to turn a 'stranger', or let them die…

"Come on, Bella," Alice said, leading me up to Edward's bedroom. She sat me on Edward's couch.

"I know this is hard," Alice said. I looked down at the carpet. "I'll try to jog his memory while you're … changing… I promise, we will figure this out. We'll get his memory back. Alright?"

I nodded once, not trusting my voice not to break.

Edward came into the room, then, sitting beside me on the bed. He turned to me, his eyes sad.

"I've never turned anybody before," he said. Something I already knew.

"I trust you," I repeated. He nodded slowly, before taking my hand, and pressing it to his lips. I could see the indecision in his eyes, even as he pulled back his lips to expose venom-coated teeth. Even as he bit me. Especially as he bit me.

And then, I was not aware of anything but the fire that was burning me.

_**A/N: Now, I'm not going to go through the whole three days. In fact, I'm going to skip them. You all know how it goes; you've probably read about it a hundred times by now. So, to save you from dull repetitiveness, I'm skipping the three days completely…**_

The fire stopped, and I opened my eyes, searching for Edward's face. I didn't see anybody, only walls.

Not the same walls that I had seen when Edward had bitten me.

Where… where was I?


	6. Chapter 6

Where was I? I looked around me, taking in my surroundings. Golden walls, matching rugs and curtains; the style was uncannily similar to that of Edward's room. There was just one subtle difference. There was nothing in this room except a couch, a topaz, leather couch, on which I sat.

Where was everybody else? Where was Alice, where was Edward?

"Alice?" I called silently, too distracted to care much about the different tone that was my voice. "Edward?"

"They're out," a familiar voice said. I froze. When did they get here?

"Emmett?" I said in disbelief.

"In the flesh," Emmett said, opening the midnight black door. I expected to see the grin that normally occupied his expression, but was surprised to see that his expression was sad.

"What's wrong, Emmett?" I asked, moving forward faster than I was used to. "Where are Edward and Alice? What happened with the Volturi? Where are we?" The questions all came out in one big rush, and Emmett actually cracked a smile.

"Edward and Alice are talking in private. I'm not sure where. Alice is trying to get Edward's memory back, or at least to show him what he should remember. The Volturi were never a problem, once you were turned. They came when you were Changing, and simply left, asking that, once, or if, you discover an ability, that you visit them. Alice called us a few hours before Aro got here, so she was able to fill us in. And right now? We're in one of our older houses. One in California, in fact."

"California?" I echoed in disbelief. "How? Wasn't it too sunny?

"Not in this town," Emmett said. "Welcome to Los Altos, one of the sun-less towns in California." He waved his arms as if this were the most exciting thing in the world."

I was about to ask another question, when a burning sensation in the back of my throat cut off my voice. Emmett chuckled.

"Right," he muttered. "Thirsty. Here we are." He picked a cup up from a dresser, and held it out to me. The smell was off, not as enticing as I thought it would smell.I realized something then, that surprised me.

"I don't want it."

"What?"

"It doesn't smell good. I don't want it." I felt like a child, but it didn't smell at all like something I wanted to drink. In fact... "I want real food," I added.

Surprise colored his tone. "Well that's different." He disappeared for a moment, before returning with an apple. "Does this seem more appetizing?"

"Yes." I took it from him, and took a large bite. Emmett grimaced at the thought of the taste, but I thought it was fine, just like a normal apple.

"You have an interesting gift," Emmett said. "It should form quite an advantage. We'll still have to see about human blood, but animal blood seems to repulse you, rather than attract you..."

I realized something then.

"Why are we in California, Emmett?"

He sighed. "We broke the treaty, Bella. The dogs would have attacked us, if Carlisle hadn't reasoned with them..."

"Reasoned?"

"The made a compromise. Since Edward had not choice in the matter of whether to turn you; believe me, no one wants you dead; Sam excused it. But just that one time. Plus, we had to leave, and never come back. We gladly agreed. Anything to avoid more fighting..."

"So it's my fault we had to leave." My voice was sad.

"Do you always have to see the negative side of things, Bella?" Emmett asked in exasperation. "You should be focusing on the good. One: you are a vampire. Two: We avoided a fight. And, most importantly, three: if things go as planned, Edward should remember you when he comes back."

I considered this, before grinning. "I guess I can focus on the good."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Good. I don't need you all emo on me, Bella."

I jumped up. "So," I said, my voice offhand. "How long ago did you live in this house?"

"I never lived here," Emmett admitted. "Carlisle lived here a little bit before he moved to Chicago. He never sold the place; it's a good house, a good 'backup', and, as you can see, it's a very good thing he kept it. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a house."

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Like you wouldn't have just bought another house?"

"And spend all that extra money?"

"Emmett," I laughed. "Spending more money than necessary is in your 'genes'. All of you do it. Not as bad as Alice, but still..."

"You know," Emmett said, changing the subject. "We have nothing to do now...So...want to wrestle?"

Was he serious? Of course he was thinking of challenging again...

"Sure."

I won. Five times.

"I hate you," Emmett growled playfully, after losing five times in a row. He was pouting in a corner. "Stupid new vampires, being unnaturally strong... That has GOT to be cheating or something..."

I laughed, "Oh, please, Emmett. You challenged me, remember? Just deal with it; You're weak compared to me."

He pouted again. I grinned.

"Now," I said, standing up from the ground. "Are you going to show me around the house or what?"

Chapter End Notes:

Sorry. More of an explanation chapter than a suspense one. The next chapter will be longer and more suspenseful - Edward will come back.

Now, for my favorite 6 letter word!!!!!!

gimme an R

gimme an E

gimme a V

gimme an I

gimme an E

gimme a W

What's that spell?

REVIEW!!! YAY!!!!

But seriously, please review!!!


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